


When Fire meets Fate

by Lakritzwolf



Series: Whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Actually it's several suicides, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Lillith's explosion did kill Clary, Other, Suicide, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 13:23:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20892815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lakritzwolf/pseuds/Lakritzwolf
Summary: Written for Whumptober 2019Day 2: Explosion





	When Fire meets Fate

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE read the tags and warnings. I cannot stress this enough.

In all his life, Jace has never been so afraid. 

The fact that he has just been freed from a demonic possession pales in comparison to the fact that he might be losing Alec. But for now, he has to focus on saving Clary. He needs to get to her, and nothing, nothing can stand in his way. 

Alec will be fine. He keeps telling himself that like a mantra, even as he fights his way up the stairwell, every second of delay driving him closer to the edge of madness. He needs to get to Clary. He needs to get there _now_.

He can feel the building shake, is thrown against the wall of the staircase, can feel the tremble in his bones. For a second he is paralysed, but then he pushes himself upright again, and runs, faster than before.

His blood runs cold as he stumbles out of the door, to find himself not in a luxurious, old-fashioned penthouse apartment, but under open sky, surrounded by rubble.

“Clary!”

Bits of masonry crumble under his feet. Flakes of burnt wallpaper drift in the air like leaves in the wind. He turns around, refusing to believe his own eyes. The apartment is obliterated, behind him flames lick at the remnants of the walls that have survived the explosion.

As he faces the edge again, a hand grapples for a hold. He slowly approaches, but it is Simon, not Clary, who pulls himself up the ledge.

“My mark... there was an explosion...”

Jace’s heart stops for a moment, his seraphs blade sliding out of his fingers that have lost their strength, then frantically starts beating again, his blood gushing in his ears, a single word on his mind in the rhythm of his racing heart: _no no no no_...

He grabs Simon by the lapels. Simon panics but Jace calms him down again, as hard as it is for him not to scream at him.

“Where is she?” He refuses to acknowledge Simon’s tears. “Where’s Clary?”

They stare at each other, both numb with pain and shock. 

Simon looks around, and freezes. Feeling his as if his blood is slowly being replaced by frozen ash, Jace follows his gaze.

A piece of collapsed wall. A bloodied hand, sticking out of the rubble. 

“I killed her,” Simon whispers, his voice cracked, vibrating with the knife-sharp edge of madness. “I killed her...”

“It’s not Clary,” Jace whispers, and approaches the collapsed wall. “It’s not Clary!” 

It’s not Clary. It is not Clary. It can’t be Clary.

He picks up a few bricks, casts them aside. One more, and he sees a few strands of ginger hair, crusted in blood and plaster.

He doesn’t know why he is still breathing. He doesn’t know how he can be here, kneeling on the stone floor, still breathing, still alive, when Clary is dead.

Because of him. 

“I killed her,” Simon whispers again. 

No, he did not. It was the mark of Cain that did it. Jace killed her. Jace who refused to acknowledge that something was wrong. Jace, who refused to look for help until it was too late. Jace, who had brought her here, possessed by Lillith because he hadn’t wanted to look weak.

Jace had killed her. 

He hears the sharp groan of pain, but reacts too late. As he spins around, he can only watch in helpless shock as Simon, the skin of his palm burning around the hilt of Jace’s sword, lets himself fall onto the blade. 

Within a heartbeat, Simon is no more than a few flakes of ash. Another heartbeat, and the blade clatters to the ground. 

And nothing is left.

Nothing. 

Nothing is what Jace feels.

Nothing is what Jace is. 

He manages to get onto his feet. How he has the strength, he doesn’t know. He stands there, looking at his blade, at the spot where Simon was only moments ago. Simon is gone too. Without a trace. 

Jace looks ahead, into the dark sky across New York. Takes a step towards the ledge. 

The dark abyss beckons with oblivion. And it has never been so welcome. 

Jace takes another step.

* * *

The burning agony is too much for Alec’s weakened body, and Magnus is helpless, condemned to watch as his body fails him, and he doesn’t survive his parabatai for more than a couple of heartbeats.

* * *

After centuries, the creese that killed Magnus’ mother drinks blood again.

* * *

Isabelle and Maryse are left alone in their grief.


End file.
